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Author: [[A. H. Almaas]] Full Title: Diamond Heart Category: #books The contrast to Essence provides the mirror in which the personality of ego becomes understood in a precise and clear way. This shift of identity shifts one’s center from ego to Essence, making the presence of Essence the center of one’s universe of experience. Many things that have been taken till this point to be fundamental facts of reality are seen here to be only beliefs and naive assumptions. This also leads to objectivity about Essence itself, for now it is experienced from its own vantage point, rather than from that of the personality. Essence is recognized as Being, timelessness, the eternal now. ONE The Flame of the Search Why am I here? Where am I going? We need to see how honest we can be with ourselves when trying to answer these questions. These two questions are related; that is, most people think they are here because there is a goal, they want to go somewhere. Where do you want to go? You probably think you know; do you? Do you think I know where you should go? If you think I know, can I tell you? And if I tell you, will you follow? Can you follow? These are questions that you cannot answer with your mind. These are questions that should remain questions. Do not try to simply answer them mentally. These questions are like a flame. If you answer them with your mind, you will put out the flame, because the mind doesn’t, the mind can’t know the answers to these questions. When you answer them with your mind and you think you know, the question is gone. When you believe you have answered such questions, the flame is gone and there is no more inquiry. If you settle for answers on this level, you will live like most of humanity, who assume that they know why they are here and where they are going. Such a life typically feels shallow and insignificant. A life with no fundamental questioning is a life lived according to formulas, according to what one has heard from others. But why should you believe what others tell you about life? You don’t actually know yet what is true for you, what is important for you, what will work for you. It is better to remain ignorant than to pretend knowledge. If you know that you are ignorant and don’t pretend otherwise, there is a question that stays alive and continues to burn in you, a deep hunger for the truth. If you look at every moment of your life, such as this moment, you will see that most of the time you believe that you know what is the best thing for you at that moment. You think, feel, and behave as if you know what is supposed to happen, as if you know what you want and what is important to want. you want to continue merely surviving, you can. But what difference is there then between you and any animal, any insect that is born, lives and dies?

AI Summary

Diamond Heart Book 2 by A.H. Almaas is a core text of the Diamond Approach teaching.

This volume explores essential aspects of spiritual development and inner realization.

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